Author Topic: Fistful's never-ending computer Q&A thread... (Read 57153 times)

RocketMan · « **Reply #175 on:** August 17, 2009, 02:22:12 AM »

Checked PMs. The service tag did the trick. The memory you purchased at Newegg should be just fine for that PC.
Try one stick at a time with memtest86. See if one works and one doesn't. Once in a great while you will get a bad stick from Newegg. It doesn't happen often, though.
If you have to return the memory, they will want both sticks back since they were a matched pair for dual-channel use. Just exchange them. The next set should be fine.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #176 on:** August 17, 2009, 09:29:18 PM »

Thanks a ton for the help, Rocketeer.

Both of the new sticks showed errors, when tested separately. The original module from Dell has made two passes without error so far. I'm going to let it keep going, of course.

When I tested my old Dell, I let it run overnight and it made 8 passes with no errors. Is that a long enough test, you think?

RocketMan · « **Reply #177 on:** August 17, 2009, 09:54:08 PM »

Overnight should do it. The more passes the better, of course. But sometimes that isn't practical if you have a lot of memory. It can take a lot of time, especially on a slower machine, to complete a pass.
Go ahead and return the memory. You might try another make/model if Newegg will go for it, just in case it's some kind of weird compatibility problem and not actual bad memory. That's fairly rare in desktops, but it does happen.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #178 on:** August 17, 2009, 09:59:25 PM »

Thanks. Old Dell takes an hour to make a pass. Newer one takes about twenty minutes.

Thanks again for the help.

RocketMan · « **Reply #179 on:** August 18, 2009, 07:33:32 AM »

Quote from: fistful on August 17, 2009, 09:59:25 PM

Thanks. Old Dell takes an hour to make a pass. Newer one takes about twenty minutes.

Thanks again for the help.

Any time, fistful. Happy to do it.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #180 on:** August 18, 2009, 05:56:51 PM »

Just had two more blue screens. :( They always seem to be triggered by something I'm trying to do with the optical drive. But this has been two drives, one SATA and one IDE. And I've been using different programs. Is it possible that the media I'm using could cause this?

I had just opened the new ISO I downloaded, with Active ISO Burner (recommended by Microsoft) and it blue screened. When I restarted the machine, it blue screened again.

The first error was "The Parallel port driver service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it."

I just went into my BIOS the other day, and disabled all the ports I thought I wasn't using. Guess I'll re-enable the parallel port.

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #181 on:** August 18, 2009, 06:06:36 PM »

Funny that parallel IDE/ATA would attempt to reference the LPT port that you disabled.

I'm willing to bet you disabled something other than the LPT port that is causing this.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #182 on:** August 18, 2009, 06:21:35 PM »

I'm not using any IDE/ATA. I have only an HDD and optical drive. Both SATA.

Jim147 · « **Reply #183 on:** August 18, 2009, 06:56:28 PM »

Quote from: fistful on August 18, 2009, 06:21:35 PM

I'm not using any IDE/ATA. I have only an HDD and optical drive. Both SATA.

That doesn't mean the OS or some program isn't searching for them.

I think your just trying to see how many pages you can make this thing.

jim

dvlhntr · « **Reply #184 on:** August 18, 2009, 08:00:04 PM »

Quote

Is it possible that the media I'm using could cause this?

yes,

I can get blue screens when I get a read error on my (sata or IDE) dvd drives. no read error and things work fine.

but for me it's my own risk I take since I am using a mobo that isn't WCHL for the version of windows that I am using. if I use a version of windows that my mobo is listed as WCHL approved / vendor supported I don't have this issue.

granted my mobo vender is in the top 3 for most shady and their support for OSes that they supposedly do support is bush league at best.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #185 on:** August 27, 2009, 05:44:39 PM »

OK, I really don't need you guys anymore. I have found the true tech guru.

http://rixstep.com/1/1/20070724,00.shtml

Racehorse · « **Reply #186 on:** August 27, 2009, 05:54:30 PM »

"without the windows drivers sitting below the visible surface, allowing the linus to talk to the hardware, it is without worth"

This Linus sounds like a fantastic chap! I want to know how he learned to talk to the hardware. Is he using Rosetta Stone under Windows to talk to the hardware, and thereby adding worth?

_{And yes, I know Linux is named after Linus Torvalds.}

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #187 on:** August 27, 2009, 06:01:37 PM »

Quote from: fistful on August 27, 2009, 05:44:39 PM

OK, I really don't need you guys anymore. I have found the true tech guru.

http://rixstep.com/1/1/20070724,00.shtml

I LOL'ed.

Evidently I'm a conspirator for running XP-64. Not sure what I'm conspiring for or what laws I'm breaking... but I'm gonna get it for sure some day.

Marnoot · « **Reply #188 on:** August 27, 2009, 06:07:39 PM »

Quote from: Racehorse on August 27, 2009, 05:54:30 PM

"without the windows drivers sitting below the visible surface, allowing the linus to talk to the hardware, it is without worth"

This Linus sounds like a fantastic chap! I want to know how he learned to talk to the hardware. Is he using Rosetta Stone under Windows to talk to the hardware, and thereby adding worth?

_{And yes, I know Linux is named after Linus Torvalds.}

It wasn't just created by Linus Torvalds, Linus included himself in the OS itself, ala Tron. When you issue a command in Linux, Linus himself goes on a journey within your computer to personally instruct the hardware to perform the requested operation.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #189 on:** August 27, 2009, 06:14:13 PM »

Quote

It wasn't just created by Linus Torvalds, Linus included himself in the OS itself, ala Tron. When you issue a command in Linux, Linus himself goes on a journey within your computer to personally ~~instruct the hardware~~ ask the Windows to perform the requested operation.

FTFY

Racehorse · « **Reply #190 on:** August 27, 2009, 07:17:46 PM »

So he's leaning out the Windows to talk to the hardware? Or is he passing notes through the Windows? I'm all confused by the mechanics of this. Or is Linus now a being of light who focuses himself through the Windows to burn his instructions in the ~~hardwood~~ hardware floors of the computer?

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #191 on:** August 27, 2009, 07:30:29 PM »

Linus breaks through the windows, and steals the hardware and drives away with them. That's why the linux is illegal.

Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas · « **Reply #192 on:** August 27, 2009, 07:32:48 PM »

Quote from: fistful on August 27, 2009, 07:30:29 PM

Linus breaks through the windows, and steals the hardware and drives away with them. That's why the linux is illegal.

And Linus sells the hardware to the pirates.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #193 on:** August 27, 2009, 07:35:53 PM »

He sells it to Mac OSX. Which doesn't stop Vista from being a phenomenally successful oprating systems.

Jim147 · « **Reply #194 on:** August 27, 2009, 10:47:33 PM »

I just want to ride the tron bike for a while.
And just how weird does page 8 get?

jim

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #195 on:** August 28, 2009, 01:29:26 AM »

As it turns out, the RAM didn't work because the Gateway won't recognize more than 256 MB per slot.

As if any of you care.

Frank Castle · « **Reply #196 on:** August 28, 2009, 01:45:59 AM »

Quote

As if any of you care.

I care, i'm typing on a Gateway computer.

But on the other hand, i already have 4.00GB ram!

RaspberrySurprise · « **Reply #197 on:** August 28, 2009, 05:30:18 AM »

This is why I prefer to build my own computers, that way I know exactly what I'm getting into at the time.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #198 on:** August 28, 2009, 11:27:59 PM »

Quote from: Marnoot on May 18, 2009, 11:27:16 AM

Start-->Run-->type "control userpasswords2", minus the quotes, there's a setting there I think you can uncheck that will make it not require a username/password to get into windows.

That worked fine on another machine, though I think it was already updated to SP3.

I tried it just now on a new XP Home install, and it causes it to hang up on "Windows is starting up..." It will eventually start, but only after several minutes.

I guess I will try that registry edit, or if not, I'll see if I can System Restore to SP2.

OK, never-you-mind, it worked when I tried it the second time. The only thing I did differently was to highlight my own account, rather than the built-in Administrator account when I toggled it.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #199 on:** August 29, 2009, 11:17:32 PM »

Quote from: RaspberrySurprise on August 28, 2009, 05:30:18 AM

This is why I prefer to build my own computers, that way I know exactly what I'm getting into at the time.

You can't build much computer for twenty dollars, which is what I paid for this one.

News:

Author Topic: Fistful's never-ending computer Q&A thread... (Read 57153 times)